I think that a brief introduction first would be good, my name is Niall and i’m the sole driver, soon to be driver/logistical director of an internet based company which sells and ships english food to ex-pats on spains Costa Blanca, www.ex-patheaven.com …
O.K then, I live in Wallasey on the Wirral and the van lives with the business partners in Derby. I normally get picked up from my home about midday and we head off to derby to drop off Steve (the M.D) who collects me (small company, only 3 of us run it). I then head off from there towards Folkestone and the tunnel, I always do this in one hit, as im not affected by driving hours in the van. I normally arrive at the tunnel by about 8ish and again, because of the van, I can go through with the holiday makers. With all the faffing around at both ends it normally takes about 2 hours from arriving in Folkestone to hitting the first french services after the tunnel. I then aim to get myself south of Paris before I sleep.
I use the main toll roads south through france, via orleans, chatauxroux, limoges and toulouse, and I maintain about 130kph all the way, I then take the road to Foix, and carry on over the pyrenees passing Andorra, using the two long toll tunnels, I then head towards Barca, before coming off, going past Montserrat, then on towards Valencia, and then to my spanish base of operations, my parents house. This is all in one hit one day, if I leave Paris about 6am, i can be at the parents by about 8pm, which is about 25 mins inland of Gandia…
Crossing the Pyrenees
Delivering in Gandia
The foreign office! (Parents Village!)
Total distance about 600km in England and 1400km France/Spain.